: tending to elude: such as
a
: tending to evade grasp or pursuit
elusive prey
b
: hard to comprehend or define
c
: hard to isolate or identify
elusively
adverb
elusiveness
noun
Examples of elusive in a Sentence
But for all their influence, D.C. lobbyists have failed to attain one elusive goal: public respect.
—
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Recent Examples on the Web
Buffalo also trails division-leading New England by a game and a half, and could be looking at facing the daunting wild-card route to that elusive Super Bowl berth.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
The famously elusive actor married the love of his life, writer-director Rebecca Miller, back in 1996.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Scientists have long suspected a link between Epstein-Barr and lupus, but the exact connection had remained elusive.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 13 Nov. 2025
Perkins will need more than a dictionary definition of surrealism to work out the next one, and Nick Leperd’s script — all wheel-spinning in search of elusive substance — doesn’t give the movie’s ideas enough shape for Perkins to have fun playing around with them.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
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Jim Reineking, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
The famously elusive actor married the love of his life, writer-director Rebecca Miller, back in 1996.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Scientists have long suspected a link between Epstein-Barr and lupus, but the exact connection had remained elusive.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 13 Nov. 2025
Perkins will need more than a dictionary definition of surrealism to work out the next one, and Nick Leperd’s script — all wheel-spinning in search of elusive substance — doesn’t give the movie’s ideas enough shape for Perkins to have fun playing around with them.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elusive. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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